Bulgarian Driver Who Was Transporting Illegal Immigrants Was Arrested in Italy

The authorities in Italy detained a 66-year-old driver with a Bulgarian citizenship in whose TIRs were found three migrants. The man, Dimitar U., is charged with aiding illegal immigration for profit.

The three migrants were found in the truck's refrigerator, one of which was found in a critical condition and was taken to the local hospital's resuscitation. He is about 20 years of age, apparently found without documents and is believed to be a refugee from Iraq. A 17-year-old citizen of Afghanistan, who was also hospitalised, traveled with him. The third illegal, passenger is also an Afghan, and he is found with various bodily injuries.

In front of the police, the three migrants explained that each of them paid the Bulgarian driver 4,000 EUR to drive them from Greece to Italy. The Bulgarian refrigerator TIR left from Igoumenitsa and arrived at the port of Brindisi by ferry. The migrants were found in a standard border check of the authorities who heard noise coming from the truck. After the police led the driver to open it, from it fell an Afghan who was injured.

The taking out of the other two immigrants required the intervention of firefighters because they were among shoeboxes. The Iraqi was found unconscious in the refrigeration chamber. The case is being investigated by Brindisi's border police under the command of Deputy Chief Stefania Okioni. Only after an investigation and after the prosecutor's consent, the Bulgarian driver was arrested on Saturday night.